seinecke



(No Model.) r A. B. SEINEGKE. I CIGAR BOX SERVER.

No. 308,634. Patented Dec. 2, 1884.

Unrrnn STATES PATENT @rricn.

ADOLPH E. SEINECKE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO MARIA R. ROTH, OFSAME PLACE.

CIGAR-BOX SERVER.

SEEQJIEEGATIQIE forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,634, datedDecember 2, 188%.

Application filed January 28, 1884. (No model.)

a citizen of the United States, residing at Cin cinnati, in the countyof Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use fulImprovements in Cigar-Box Servers, of which the following is aspecification, refen ence being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a light, cheap, and simpledevice wherewith a pair of ciganboxes can be conveniently handled, andthe hinged lids of said boxes be simultaneously opened by depressing asuitable r5 push-piece. This push-piece preferably occupies an axialposition within the handle ofthe implement, said handle being attachedto a plate adapted to be clamped to the ends of the boxes and near theupper edges of the same, the opposite ends of said boxes having fastenedto them another plate that is con nected to the first one by ascrew-threaded rod occupying an interval or space between the innersides of the boxes. Furthermore, the plate to which the handle isattached carries a pair of rock-shafts whose inner ends are bent to formcranks that are jointed to links or lifters, thelatterbeing coupled tothe hinged lids of the boxes. The outer ends of these rock --shafts havecurved arms that engage either with an eye at the bottom of thepushpiece, or with an eye formed on a rod attached to said push-piece,the latter being maintained in its normal or elevated position by acoiled spring fitted within the handle.

The arrangement of the above-describedde vices is such as to cause thecoiled spring or its equivalent to maintain the lids in their closedposition, but the instant thepush-piece is depressed said lids aresimultaneously thrown wide open, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is aperspective view, showing myimplement applied to a pair of cigar-boxes, the lids of the latter beingclosed. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of said boxes, the lids thereof beingthrown wide open. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a portion of theimplement, taken in the plane 50 of its handle. Fig. i is a horizontalsection of portions of the cigar-boxes and implement. Fig. 5 shows themethod of attaching the spurred plates to the cigar-box lids.

A represents a suitable plate, having a laterally-projecting lug, B,that carries the handle O, the latter being traversed by a pushpiece, D,terminating at top with a knob or button, (I. I prefer to attach thishandle to the lug in the following manner: A sheetmetal tube, E, (seenin Fig. 3,) is first upset 6o at its lower end, and is then placed inthe mold, so as to allow the lug to be cast around this upset portion,thereby uniting the members B and E in the most secure and expeditiousway. The handle proper, C, is then 6 5 slipped down over thistube, andthe upper end of the latter being bent outwardly, said handle is at oncefastened in place. Thistube has coiled within it a spring," F, thatsurrounds a a rod, G, the upper end of the'latt-er being preferablyscrewed into the push-piecc D, in order that the tension of the springmay be regulated by properly turning said push-piece. Rod G has at itslower end an eye or loop, through which passes freely the curved 7 5arms hi of a pair of rock-shafts, H I, whose inner ends take the shape'of cranks h t of any suitable length, said shafts being jour naled inears I), that project from lug B. The free ends of cranks h 1; havecoupled to them links or lifters J K, the latter being jointed to smallplates j k, fastened to the upper surface of lids Zm of the cigar-boxesL M. Theselids are hinged to the respective boxes at Z on. Plates j ishave projecting from their under sides spurs N, adapted to enter thebox-lids, as seen in Fig. 5. Similarly the plate A hasinwardly-projecting spurs a, that penetrate the ends of the boxes, asseen in Fig. 4:. Furthermore, the inner face of said plate has a rib, O,which plate and rib are traversed by the screw-threaded end 1) of a rod,1?, whose other screw-threaded end, 1), passes through the rib R of aplate, S, that is secured to the ends of boxes LXM by a thumb-nut, T. sare inwardly-projecting spurs of said plate.

The manner of applying this implement is clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 4,reference to which latter illustration shows that the ribs I O Rmaintain the boxes L M at such a dis- I00 tance from each other as toprevent any contact of the free edges of the lids l m, and also to allowa passage for the threaded rod P pp. Fig. 4 further shows that bytightening the thumb-nut 'I the plates A S will be securely clampedagainst the opposite ends of the boxes, and any lateral shifting of saidplates will be prevented by their spurs a s penetrating said ends. Itwill also be seen that the threaded rod P191) allows said plates to beadjusted to boxes of various lengths, and after these plates are clampedin position the smaller plates j k are fastened to the lids Z m bysimply forcing the spurs N into said lids, as seen in Fig. 5.

IVhen the implement is in the above-described normal position, thespring F forces the rod G as far up within handle 0 as the eye 9 willpermit, which stress of said spring keeps thelids snugly closed.

In serving cigars to his customers, the dealer grasps the handle 0,lifts the united boxes L M from the counter, and then depresses thepush-piece D (Z with his thumb, which movement of said push-piece causesthe curved arms h t of the rock-shafts to assume the position seen inFig. 2. Consequently said shafts H I turn in their bearings 12, and inso doing the free ends of cranks h 2" swing upwardly and opensimultaneously, but in opposite directions, the lids Z m therebyaffording unobstructed access to the boxes; but the instant the dealerremoves his thumb from the push-piece D, the springF exerts its forceand automatically closes both of the lids. It will thus be seen that myserver can be readily applied to cigar-boxes of any size, and that itcan be manipulated with one hand, thereby leaving the other hand of thedealer at perfect liberty. When the boxes are nearly of the same length,either one of the screws 1) or 1) may be omitted from the rod I.

I claim as my invention- 1. A cigar-box server consisting of a pair ofplates adapted to be clamped to the opposite ends of two boxes, apush-piece and connected devices for opening the lids of said boxes, anda suitable spring for restoring said push-piece to its normal positionand closing the lids, substantially as herein described.

2. A cigar-box server consisting of a pair of plates adapted to beclamped to the opposite ends of two boxes, a push-piece and connecteddevices for opening the lids of said boxes, a spring for restoring saidpush-piece to its normal position, and a rod between the boxes foradjusting said plates, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, in a cigar-box server, of clamp-plates A S,adjustingrod p, ribs 0 R, handle 0, push-piece D,spring F, rockshafts HI, curved arms h z, cranks h 2', links J K, and lid-plates j is,provided with spurs N, for the purpose described.

4. The combination, in a cigar-box server, having the handle 0, and tubeE, inclosing spring F, of the rod G, secured in one end of push-piece D,and'having at its lower end an eye, 9, for the purpose set forth.

5. In combination with a cigar-box server, the tube E, having one endupset and secured in the lug B by casting the lug around it, and theother end upset to secure the handle 0 in place, the tube iuclosing arod and push-piece for operating the covers of the boxes, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADOLPH E. SEINEOKE.

IVitnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN, SAML. S. CARPENTER.

